Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!elroy!mahendo!jplgodo!wlbr!scgvaxd!ashtate!unisol!haral
From: haral@unisol.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: UNIX tape backup utilities ( SysAdmin from UniSolutions Assoc.)
Message-ID: <284@unisol.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Sep-87 13:22:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: unisol.284
Posted: Wed Sep  2 13:22:21 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Sep-87 04:49:44 EDT
References: <153@tijc02.UUCP> <1143@ttidca.TTI.COM> <358@mcdsun.UUCP> <1153@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Reply-To: haral@unisol.UUCP (Haral Tsitsivas)
Distribution: world
Organization: UniSolutions Associates, Culver City, CA
Lines: 65
Keywords: menus security backups
Xref: utgpu comp.unix.wizards:3741 comp.unix.questions:3439

In article <153@tijc02.UUCP>, seb022@tijc02.UUCP (Scott Bemis) writes:
>> I am considering purchasing a UNIX tape backup utility.   What are your
>> comments, compliments, complaints with any of these tools?

Hi,

I am just catching up with news so I'll try to answer your questions
regarding our software...  Essentially, Steve Mullin (sm@ttidca) was correct
in describing the software, so I will try to answer or clarify only some of
the points.

>> Can this tool (from whatever company)
>> a. handle multiple tape reels to backup a single file system if
>> necessary? (I have large file systems)

Yes.  SysAdmin provides a front-end or a back-end to cpio (if needed -- when
your cpio cannot handle multiple tapes) to span multiple tapes and to
optionally label tapes.  

>> b. keep an online catalog of files backuped to each particular backup
>> 	tape (tell me which tape a file may be on)?

Yes.  You decide how long you keep the on-line logs or you can recreate
them using SysAdmin when you are looking for something that has already
rolled off your on-line log files.

>> c. perform both a full and incremental backup on a MOUNTED file system
>> which may be modified as it is being backed up? 

Yes, but your mileage may vary...  you can get away with it for a number
of times, but if you heavily modify files as they are being backed up
no program will guarantee you that your files will be consistent.  There
is no way under UNIX to suspend a file's changes (or to stop changes to
a file) while you are backing up (a point already made in a previous 
message)...   The only UNIX vendor that has even come close to providing
a real tape checking utility is MASSCOMP which provides an option (c) to
their dump or restor program (can't remember which one right now) that
compares the data on the dump tape with the filesystem and reports the
differences (i-nodes, blocks, etc).

>> d. be able to restore individual files from either an incremental
>> or full backups, Not require one to copy the entire tape to a
>> spare area on a disk drive (if a such an area exists) like volcopy?

Yes.

>> e. be installed easily and easy to use, and well documented? 

Yes...  Read the July issue of UNIX WORLD for a review of SysAdmin.

>> OR has someone (a genius) found a way to meet these requirements
>> using standard AT&T UNIX V utilities? 

SysAdmin uses volcopy for full physical dumps and cpio for full or
incremental logical dumps.  SysAdmin provides the front-end under which you
can backup at various levels just like under BSD systems but still using
cpio under System V.  Of course, on BSD systems, SysAdmin uses dump and
restore for logical dumps and dd for physical dumps.

>> Scott Bemis

--Haral Tsitsivas
  UniSolutions Associates
  (213) 641-6739
  ...!seismo!scgvaxd!ashtate!unisol!haral